Tag: tradition

Ancient custom decrees shaking
shoe dust at unwelcome faces.
Unspoken communication
such as this seeks to acknowledge
hostility which replaces
delightful hospitality,
where shoe shakes supersede handshakes!
Such tradition comes not without
trepidation, hesitation
before final demonstration
of submission to one’s wishes
What brought me to stand at your door
and desperately shake dust off
my shoes, with the bitter taste of
betrayal tainting highlights of
our history – our childhood and shared
experience? What? Where? When? Why?
Why use this powerful method
of communication to end
all future destructive attempts?
Few know how to truly hurt me,
yet you have long since scrutinised.
I marvel at such attention.
The impact of pain, exclusion,
petty point scoring runs so deep…
Such consideration deserves
the response long meditated
upon, negotiated for.
A shame those involved knew nothing
of your game, such acquiescence.
Of innocent participants?
Mere cannon fodder to you now
And yet I still forgive you – yes…
but to forget would be foolish.
So I shake the dust off my shoes,
turn away never to return.
As this ritual requires.

#654 A #popular local attraction and amazing to see so many people flock to the one and only Cuddesdon #churchfete for a #senseofcommunity #tradition or perhaps just #intrigue Nevertheless, it was fantastic to see so many people in one place, enjoying the beautiful #surroundings and #hospitality

#377 Life this week seems quite fixed around #cranmer and his #sacramentaltheology. Whilst slightly hard-going literature, reading specifically around Cranmer’s theology of the #eucharist and how that informed the #liturgy he wrote has got me thinking. How often do our #beliefs and #actions match? Do we say one thing and do another, or do we not question why we do what we do? For me liturgy is beautiful and often poetic, but I’ve been considering how inaccessible it can be for those who aren’t regular church attenders. The essence behind Cranmer’s liturgy seemed to be about simple language that all could understand. He also lived within a time where stories were told through images and symbolism – the liturgy itself was rich with symbolism, telling the story of Jesus from incarnation to ascension every service. Has the #church lost something of that essence of accessibility through #preservationoftradition?

#351 I had a brilliant tutorial around the #theologyofgrace It’s amazing how people come to such different conclusions after looking at the same information and ideas. I love the #diversityofthemind. God created each of us, and gave us all the capacity to think, reason and draw conclusions which is both amazing and scary – we could get things right, or so fundamentally wrong!

#328 Books or e-book? I’ve been writing an assignment this week and some of the books I’ve needed have been on my kindle. This has been sort of handy, as you can highlight and make notes which don’t have to be there for ever. At the same time my memory is so much better when holding a book and knowing roughly how far into the book I read something, whether it was the left or right page and whereabouts on the page it was. As book sales rise once again, I wonder whether there is something to learn about tradition here…new is exciting, technology makes things easier to access, but tradition has it’s strengths too and to get rid of it completely might be foolish. #freshexpressions #traditionalchurch #middleground

#271 Today we went to #church here…a private school in the week and on Sunday it turns into a praise and worship extravaganza! It got me thinking though; in the C of E many of our churches have a deep and rich #heritage, they can be hundreds of years old. There is a real sense, not only of #godspresence, but also of the many followers who have gone before. I love church buildings, but are they really inaccessible for people who aren’t used to going? Do they feel intimidating? Would people be more inclined to go if church was in a school/hotel/cafe? Does tradition not matter anymore? Does the building even matter? #shareyourthoughts

#62 Would you ever take time to lie under a tree? What do you think you would see? How many others might have done the same before you? Would they have seen the same? There is something #timeless about a #chestnuttree year on year it produces chestnuts that children love to play with and; such solid trees see so much life pass them by. How much of our life habits are passed down by others? Is #tradition such a bad thing? Can we always find better ways of doing things? (at Ripon College Cuddesdon)

#29 Sometimes we can lose sight of the #humancondition … of the need to be listened to and understood, to be loved. We get hung up with #tradition and rules and respond with what is right and wrong, rather than what is needed. #morningprayer #mark7v1to13